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National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Regional Office

Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program

IFQ Resources

commercial fisherman with halibut
Longlining halibut. Photo: Elisabeth Babich, F/V Keta.
  • Online Services:

    • eLandings: Make landings for IFQ/CDQ crab, halibut and sablefish IFQ, and groundfish

    • NMFS Web Application: Check a vessel balance; report a landing (to be replaced by eLandings); print a receipt for a previous landing; make an ex-vessel volume and value report; renew an annual registered buyer permit; pay cost-recovery fees; view an IFQ landing ledger report; check a permit balance; view a registered buyer landing ledger report and a quota share holdings report.

IFQ Permits

An IFQ permit authorizes participation in fixed-gear harvests of Pacific halibut off Alaska, and most sablefish fisheries off Alaska. The permits are not specific to vessels. Permits are issued annually, at no charge, to persons holding fishable Pacific halibut and sablefish Quota Share (QS); or to those who are recipients of IFQ-only transfers from QS holders. Authorized pounds for annual IFQ permits are determined by the number of QS units held, the total number of QS units in the "pool" for a species and area, and the total amount of halibut or sablefish allocated for IFQ fisheries in a particular year. IFQ permits are authorized at 50 CFR Part 679.4(d).


Quota Share

Quota Share (QS) was initially issued to persons who owned or leased vessels that made legal commercial fixed-gear landings of Pacific halibut or sablefish during 1988-1990 off Alaska. QS is transferable to other initial issuees or to those who have become transferable eligible on NMFS' approval of an Application for Transfer Eligibility Certificate. Once issued to a person (at no charge), QS is held by that person until it is transferred, suspended, or revoked. QS permits are authorized at 50 CFR Part 679.4(d).


IFQ Regulations

  • 73 FR 28733, May 19, 2008. Final rule to modify the Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program and the Community Development Quota (CDQ) Program to allow the use of longline pot fishing gear in the Bering Sea sablefish IFQ and sablefish CDQ fisheries in the month of June. Effective June 18, 2008, except the amendment to 679.24(c)(4), which is effective May 19, 2008.
  • 73 FR 14728, March 19, 2008. Final rule to adjust the 2008 total allowable catch (TAC) amounts for sablefish in the West Yakutat and Southeast Outside Districts. This action is necessary because NMFS determined that these TACs were incorrectly specified in the Federal Register on February 27, 2008 (73 FR 10562). Effective March 14, 2008, through December 31, 2008. Comments must be received by March 31, 2008.
  • 73 FR 8822, February 15, 2008. Final rule to modify the IFQ Program for the fixed-gear commercial Pacific halibut and sablefish fisheries. Effective March 17, 2008.
  • 72 FR 64034, November 14, 2007. Proposed rule to modify the regulations for the IFQ Program for the fixed-gear commercial Pacific halibut fishery and sablefish fishery. Comment period through December 14, 2007.
  • 72 FR 44795, August 9, 2007. Final rule to modify the IFQ Program by revising regulations specific to those fisheries. Effective on September 10, 2007.
  • 70 FR 43328, July 27, 2005. Final rule to allow quota share holders in IPHC Regulatory Area 4C to fish their Area 4C IFQ or CDQ in Area 4D. Effective July 22, 2005.
  • Maximum Retainable Percentages (Tables 10 and 11)
  • International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) Regulatory Areas
  • Fisheries Regulations, Final and Proposed Rules, Notices (1994 to present)

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